Bedouin Israeli hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi, rescued from Gaza on Tuesday in an Israeli military operation after 326 days in captivity, was held for several months alone in the dark, receiving little food.
After his arrival back in Israel, Alkadi underwent a preliminary medical examination and met with his family. Similarly to other hostages rescued by the military or released in the November exchange deal, Alkadi was then debriefed by Israeli intelligence on his kidnapping and on the conditions of his captivity.
Alkadi said in his debriefing with the military intelligence that he was held alone in recent months, reported the Israeli military radio station. He also said that earlier in his captivity he was kept together with another hostage whose identity was not revealed in the radio report. That hostage died while in captivity with Alkadi, who said in his debriefing that this was one of his breaking points while in captivity in Gaza.
Alkadi, 52, father of 11, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 when he was working as a guard at a packaging factory at Kibbutz Magen, close to the border with Gaza. Dozens of Hamas assailants arrived at Magen that day, but after a seven-hour battle, members of the kibbutz managed to stave off the assault. Two members of the kibbutz were killed in that battle. Alkadi was the only person to be kidnapped from Kibbutz Magen, likely because he was stationed outside the residential area near the factory — which was empty Saturday morning — at a distance from the area where the battle was ongoing.
